What would happen if someone tried to poison our milk supply? Many veterinarians nowadays work on the front lines of bioterrorism prevention.

Vet medicine is advancing by leaps and bounds in all kinds of fields. Advances in technology, changes in cultural norms and alterations in the economics of animal health care have precipitated a series of specialties you may never have thought necessary or possible.

Thankfully, however, veterinary medicine has a way of surprising us all with its forward mobility. Here are a few of the areas in which my profession has created new careers for those intrepid enough to look beyond the more obvious paths in animal medicine.

1. Forensic pathology. Yes, veterinary medicine has its Quincys and its CSIs.
Forensic pathology might be a relatively new discipline, but the emergence of veterinary law as a profession and our growing cultural consciousness with respect to animal welfare requires more stringent standards for how legal evidence is collected, handled and analyzed.

2. Bioterrorism prevention. Yes, really. Did you ever stop to think what would happen if someone introduced a bioweapon into hog feed? Poisoned our milk supply? Given the reach of our animal production systems, large-scale acts of agricultural bioterrorism are more of a risk than you might think. Someone’s got to be on the front line.

3. Animal welfare. As of a couple of years ago, veterinarians are eligible to receive board certification from the
American College of Animal Welfare. Some serious schooling and a rigorous examination process equip veterinarians to offer their expert opinions on animal welfare concerns.

Their purview cuts a wide swath through the profession’s core — everything from managing slaughterhouse techniques and
euthanasia procedures to proper rehabilitation facilities for wildlife and track conditions for racehorses (among a multitude of other concerns).

4. Laboratory animal medicine. Everyone knows that veterinarians can become
zoo vets and wildlife specialists, but who takes care of the animals we rely upon as experimental subjects? Whatever you think of the use of animals in laboratory settings, everyone agrees they deserve top-quality veterinary care tailored to their unique needs.

5. Sports medicine. The
American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation is the newest kid on the block when it comes to board certification. Though its inclusion among the roster of specialty groups is considered provisional, there’s nothing provisional about the services its members are trained to provide.

As anyone whose pet has suffered an orthopedic or neuromuscular malady knows, physical therapy is an essential part of managing these injuries or diseases. So too does any athlete understand the toll physical activity can take on even the healthiest body. These
veterinary specialists are uniquely schooled in managing the rigors these conditions prescribe.